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Immigrants -- legal or not -- need information

Governor's carousel flip-flop is the wrong response to the issue

March 21, 2006

Gov. Ted Kulongoski saved himself some political heat by decreeing that state workers no longer will attend outreach clinics sponsored by the Mexican Consulate. But his flip-flop was disappointing.

Some state agencies not under the governor's control, such as the Oregon Department of Justice and the Bureau of Labor and Industries, will continue participating. That is the right thing to do.

State officials ought to reach out to those most likely to be taken advantage of and least likely to inquire about their rights. And various agencies did, with the governor's blessing -- until Republican hopeful Ron Saxton made illegal immigration a hot topic in the governor's race this year.

Of course, Kulongoski's staff took pains to cast his decision in a more positive light. The consulate had forced the governor's hand by deciding that the "carousels" were for Mexican nationals only, spokesman Lonn Hoklin told The Associated Press. The state couldn't be exclusive, so it would send only printed information, not people, to future events of this kind.

Here's a better solution: The state could accept invitations from all consulates that sponsor information clinics for their citizens. That wouldn't be exclusive. It would get information to workers, legal and illegal, who may have difficulty navigating the English-speaking bureaucracy.

Illegal immigration is a complex problem -- all the more so because Oregon's farms depend on immigrant labor. If undocumented workers don't learn about labor laws and other topics, they're open to exploitation. That doesn't solve the problem of illegal immigrants.

Most sneak into the United States because they can find work here.

They stay longer -- and often bring their families with them -- because it has become so difficult to cross back and forth to their home country for family visits.

Those who don't bring their families still send money home to help them, year after year.

If Saxton and others truly wanted to stop illegal immigration, they'd be striving to crack down on the U.S. employers who hire -- and often exploit -- undocumented workers. These politicians also would be asking themselves whether their "tighten the border!" mantra is counter-productive.

Kulongoski took a gutsy stand by making state help available at carousels in the past.

Too bad he changed his mind.